Tag Archives: God made

There is something special about handmade items. I have handmade scarves I received as gifts. I treasure them because I know that the person who crafted these pieces carefully selected the yarn, dedicated countless hours of creation, and made it specifically for me. I have paintings displayed in my home—paintings that started as a vision from family and friends. Stroke by stroke they made their vision come to life in the form of artwork.

As I read through Genesis 2, I cannot help but remember the great awesomeness of Creation, when the God of the universe took the dirt and formed man. If we read Genesis 1, we read again and again how He spoke different items into existence. He spoke and then there was light. He spoke and there was sky. He spoke and there was land. Yes, He spoke about making human beings (v. 26-28); however, as we look closely in Genesis 2, we read that “GOD formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul” (v. 5-7 MSG100).

God took dirt and He formed man—we are God-made. This is intimate. This is personal. Before man was alive, not only did God take the dirt and form us, but He also blew into the nostrils of man. What did He blow into the nostrils? The breath of life—God’s breath. Not only were we handmade by the Creator of the universe, but He gave us His breath. How awesome is that?!? Today, let us remember that we are handmade by God, made in His image, given His breath, formed by His hands.

I have been reading The Message 100: The Story of God in Sequence by Eugene Peterson. I am grateful for the opportunity to review this new release from NavPress. I received this Bible free for review thanks to Tyndale House Publishers. I have read The Message (NavPress) twice and I have read the NLT Chronological Life Application Study Bible (Tyndale) as well, so I was eager to dig into the Message 100 to read this new version.

I am enjoying the chronological layout with the trusted paraphrase from Eugene Peterson. Reading in this order allows for a deeper understanding of the Bible, but written at a level that builds bridges for any reading level. It is a pure pleasure being able to sit and read God’s Word in the evening. During a recent message I preached, I recommended this new Bible, because I know that the Message paraphrase is a great translation to read along with a daily reading Bible. I always recommend having a few different translations to read for a deeper understanding. A chronological Bible is a blessing because it helps the reader to see things in an order that is not easy to understand when not in sequence.

The Message can be understood by any type of reader. This new Bible displays the verse numbers so you can look to your daily reading Bible for further study. As well, there is a guide to show where the books can be found as the order is chronological. The 100 readings are designed for a great progression through the books, without any loss to the message of the Gospel. The Bible allows for anyone to encounter Jesus and be moved by how He reveals Himself to us through His Word. There is plenty of room to write in the margins of this Bible as the Spirit leads.

Joshua assembled everyone together at Shechem and the covenant was renewed. As you read Joshua 24, you will notice the word “I” is used a lot during the discussion. I took. I gave. I sent. I brought. I destroyed. I made. I rescued. All of this action, all from God. The people needed this reminder. The people needed it put before them.

We need this reminder too. If you read Joshua 24:2-15, you will see that it says “I gave” a total of eight times. Consider this today. Consider what God has given you today, this week, this month, this year. Better yet, look at this list. Remind yourself of something for each one. Today let us remember what the Lord has done for us. Let us thank and praise the great I AM.